The present invention relates generally to headset assemblies with replaceable power supplies or batteries.
Headset assemblies are frequently used in a wide variety of applications and across a broad range of industries. For example, in the fast food industry, one or more employees at drive-through fast food restaurants typically wear a headset assembly to receive orders from patrons in the drive-through lane. Similarly, in the banking industry, tellers at banks having drive-through lanes may wear headset assemblies to communicate with customers. In the retail industry, headsets are commonly used by stockroom and other employees to communicate with one another within a large area, such as a department store or a warehouse.
A typical headset assembly includes a headband and an electronics housing. The electronics housing is typically attached to one end of the headband and usually includes an earphone speaker, a microphone boom, and the electronic circuitry necessary to operate the earphone and microphone. A removable power supply or battery may be used to power the headset assembly. Once the charge is depleted in the battery, the battery is removed and recharged. That battery is later reused, or a second charged battery is used to provide for continuous usage of the headset assembly. Providing good electrical contact between the mating contacts is desired for maximum performance and battery life. Because the battery is frequently removed, preventing contaminants from interfering with the electrical contact between the mating contacts of the battery and the electronics housing is a concern.
The present invention relates to a battery and a headset assembly having an electronics housing for use with the battery. The electronics housing includes a battery slot for slideably receiving the battery. The slot is provided with two electrical contacts disposed therein. The battery includes two contacts positioned for making contact with the electrical contacts of the electronics housing when the battery is slideably received in the slot. The battery housing includes at least one recess on a base of the housing for limiting the contact between the base and at least a portion of the electrical contacts of the electronics housing when the battery is slideably inserted into or removed from the slot. Preferably, the recess is configured as two slots in the base, one aligned for each electrical contact to limit physical contact.
The contacts of the battery preferably include a raised region having a width transverse to the direction of sliding of the battery. The width of the raised region is smaller than a width of the electrical contacts of the electronics housing. A leading edge of the raised region is engageable with the electrical contacts of the electronics housing to clean the electrical contacts of the electronics housing during slideable insertion of the battery in the slot. The width of each of the raised regions is preferably generally equal in width to the width of a respective slot forming the recess on the housing of the battery.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment. The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.